Due to health reasons, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will not attend the funeral of former President APJ Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram on Thursday.
“It is my wish to travel to his hometown to be present at the funeral and pay homage but I am unable to owing to my health,” she said in a statement here on Wednesday.
Instead, she deputed a seven member team of Ministers led by Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam to attend the funeral. She also had ordered government land for the burial following requests from his family, the Chief Minister said.
Paying glowing tributes to Kalam, she said she was deeply saddened by the death of Bharat Ratna Abdul Kalam, a great son of Tamil Nadu, and an inspiration to school students, youth and scientists across the country. Born in a poor family, Kalam had risen to the top and approached any issue with a scientific outlook that benefitted not just the missile and nuclear energy fields but also in health sector.
